Walk On

For a long time, I have resisted the lure of the wrist-worn fitness tracker.  I have wanted one but told myself that Map My Ride and the My Health app on my phone were enough.  But yesterday, I finally caved and bought a FitBit.  And am quite enamoured.  The arguments in my head that kept me from buying one in the first place still are sounding .... Will it make a difference in my activity level? In the short term, I can confidently say yes.  Beyond the short term, we'll see.  Will the wristband tell me anything more about my sleep that I don't already know?  I could tell without the wristband that last night's sleep was lousy but we'll see what happens on a regular night.  Do I really want another device to know where I am 24/7?  Not really but I still couldn't resist..

A couple of early benefits ... I have entered into challenges with some of my team at work who have recently bought FitBits.  And I've connected with a sister-in-law who I never see to challenge each other.  And so we walk.  Hopefully farther than my desk job regularly takes me during a day.  We'll see!

The Lemon Squeeze

There is that saying about lemons and lemonade that I'm constantly reminding myself of as I go through the broken foot journey.  The lemonade I'm trying to make is awareness through paying more attention to the world around me.  And what have I learned and observed?

1. I have learned to have a little more patience.  Like most people in the big city, I'm generally in a rush to get where I'm going.  A broken bone will not be rushed to healing.  Particularly when you are 40-something.
2. I have learned to pay more attention to my surroundings - there is that other saying about smelling the roses.  It is easy to point yourself to where you are going and ignore everything in between.  When you are one of the people being knocked into when others are on that journey, you appreciate the impact of that attitude on the world around you.  
3. I have learned that not all mobility issues are visible.  People talk to you when you have a cast on your foot.  And you learn about their injuries (the lady also recovering from a broken foot but about 4 weeks ahead of me so in shoes but still limping), the lady I used to sing in a choir with who told me after we got to our destination and after she had given me her seat, that she had a knee replacement.
4. I have learned that it can be tricky to get around Toronto when you need some degree of accessibility.  I am at least mobile on two feet but try to get into a taxi with a cast on your foot when you have to jump over a snowbank to get there.  Or, when you are having trouble walking and realize that the elevator is pretty much at the opposite end of the platform from the accessibility car on the train or it is out of order.  I'm not sure what someone in a wheelchair does when that happens.
5. I have learned how kind people can be.  There are the many people who have held doors, the people who have given me seats on the train, the bus driver who got out of the bus to clear away the snow that the city couldn't be bothered to have dealt with and then held my hand to help me out.
6. I've been reminded of how much I love being outside.  I have been pretty housebound in this snowy, icy winter and am really missing my long, weekend walks.  I already appreciated these walks but will now do so even more when I get back to them.
7. I have yet another reminder of the benefits of being fit.  I don't know how I would have gotten around the first several days with the foot if I hadn't been strong and fit.  Never mind leveraging myself in and out of the bathtub.  At least the quickly acquired stool installed in our basement shower has made this easier but I still need to do a lot of one-legged squats in my morning routine.  This realization has kept me exercising through the injury.  Thanks to the Nike Training app for the Ab routines and previous bouts of personal training that have taught me what to do with free weights. 
8. I appreciate the Canadian medical system.  Sure it might take a little longer to get through the process and I wouldn't mind a few more minutes to chat with the doctor than he has had time for,  but the system has been really good to me through my injury.  Sure I had to wait in the emergency room but the only thing I had to pay for was parking and the removable boot.  I could have had a plaster cast for free but really???
9. I have learned that you can get a lot of knitting done when you have a broken foot and need to spend a bit of time lounging in chairs with your foot up.  Nine projects and counting.

I do miss my car.  And curling.  I can't wait until I can drive myself around so I'm not so trapped in the house.  My husband has been a fantastic chauffeur but he hasn't been here 24/7 so I've had to amuse myself in the house a bit more than I'm used to.  Another big contributer to #9, above.  It's a good thing there has been a lot of curling on TV.  It is a bit harder to watch when not playing but at least I'm hopefully absorbing some strategy I can use when I get back on the ice.  

 

O Canada!!!

And the mens hockey team wins again!  The gold medal game was excellent but I have to comment on the press and their flip-flopping.  A few days ago, before the Canada US game, the commentators were saying:  the US is the team to beat, Canada can't score, didn't bring the right players, etc.  Today they are saying that the Canadian team is the best team ever assembled.  Geesh (but in a good way).

Have I mentioned that I love podcasts?

1.  The Yarn Harlot based a whole talk (and some of her last book) on the benefits to mental wellbeing from knitting and other crafty activities.  I was reminded of this again today while listening to the Ewe University podcast.  The host was talking about the benefits of craft in lifting depression.  So I did a little Google search to read more and found this article.  Very interesting and it makes a lot of sense.

2.  I was listening to an NPR podcast the other day that talked about an oversupply of sheep in the US.  There is an article here.  It talked about this from both a food and clothing perspective.  I, of course, thought that this is a challenge to knitters to get those needles moving faster so we can support the farmers.

3.  I just finished listening to A Tale of Two Cities on Craftlit.  I have just recently discovered this podcast and am liking the podcast in general and really loved this book.  This is a book I've picked up several times over the years to start reading and never make it beyond the first chapter because I found it hard to get through from a pace perspective.  Fortunately Heather, the host of the podcast, promised up front that things would improve after the first few chapters.  And they did.  

Let's see what else I can pick up as I listen to podcasts while cleaning up from the tasmanian devil that just went through my kitchen leaving cookies, meatballs and muffins in her wake.

A few favourites

I like when blogs writers link to other interesting sites so here are a few of my old and new favourites.

1.  First up, not surprisingly, is Houzz.  I got a lot of inspiration from this site when planning our kitchen.  There are so many details and decisions to make, it was nice to see what things looked like in other kitchens.  And their search engine is fantastic.

2.  This looks fun.  I think we'll go.  Wine and food and recipes to bring home.

3.  The LCBO magazine is one I look forward to quarterly.  There are always lots of great recipes and they are on the website too.

4.  I have been meaning to make natural peanut butter since reading this Squawkfox article.  I just have to remember to find a source for fresh, tasty peanuts rather than the ones that have been hanging out in the store too long.

That's it.  I haven't been doing much surfing lately.  Maybe I'll hop over to Chocolate and Zucchini and see what links she is sending readers to this month.  Of course, I could also work on getting some projects done instead.

Yet another place to spend time

Pinterest - love it.  I guess the good news is I tend to consume it in small doses so it isn't as bad as the rabbit hole that Ravelry or Houzz can be - yet.

I do anticipate that Houzz time will reduce once our kitchen reno is done.  I'm really getting excited about the reno.  Much of the painting is done (and who knew how tiring painting a ceiling and trim could be), the floor is in, appliances arrive today and cupboards start going in on Monday.  Can't wait.

I keep imagining all of the new things I will make in the new kitchen.  I'm not entirely sure how I think that just because I will have a bigger kitchen that I will suddenly have extra time to do extra cooking but maybe two ovens will speed things up!

I may have to rethink that year-long trip across North America

We're doing a bit of a reno at our house which has required us to pack up a floor of stuff and move it out of the way.  As we are doing this, we had to determine what we will need access to for the next couple of months and what we can live without.  The number of things I need access to is quite startling.  Too much to fit into even a bus-sized motor home for the trip fantasy mentioned in the title.

I guess some of it comes from being a crafty person.  I need a good supply of knitting projects and several quilting ideas readily at hand.  I need certain dishes to cook with and can't possibly pack away too many clothes.  I always have the belief that if I can complete even half of the projects that I have stash matched against, I will become a minimalist.  Ha!

Vinyl Tap

I just wanted to write a short note on a radio show that my friend Kristen told me about ages ago that I've lately remembered to listen to.  It is Randy Bachman's Vinal Tap and it airs on CBC Radio 2 on Sunday nights at 6.  I think it is on CBC Radio 1 on Saturday nights.  I've only caught a few shows but he covers a theme every week.  This week it was songs that broke the rules.  Think Bohemian Rhapsody, Come On Eileen and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy.  They didn't fit the three minute constant time pop song.   A really interesting show with some music I've heard before and some I haven't.

Seasons

Until I discovered my love of gardening, autumn used to be my favourite time of year.  Now I feel nostalgic for the summer flowers and the fresh veggies from the garden.

But autumn ... the crisp air, wearing sweaters again, a reawakening of crafty enthusiasm, brand new school supplies.  I guess it still is a pretty great time of year.  And, as someone said to me the other day, you can't have spring if you don't have winter.

Happy Canada Day!

Check out this link ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBI68Il4Zsc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Daydreaming when I should be doing 1000 other things

I'm sitting here at the computer to check out the weather next week and should be getting up to pack for my latest bonspiel adventure.  But instead I'm staring at bags that I have made that are hanging from hooks on the wall and wondering why I like crafting so much.  It might be because my job is very far removed from being a creative outlet.  It could be because I like pretty things and feel that sense of enjoyment in looking at something pretty that I made myself.  It could be because I generally don't like doing nothing at all (even when day dreaming I'm thinking that I should do a blog post and get a little more regular with this again).  It is most likely a combination of the above.  People who don't craft think I'm strange but I know there are a lot of us out there forging ahead.

I planted several different seeds this weekend ... peas, carrots, parsnips, beets, arugula, kohlrabi, radishes, onions, potatoes (the last two technically not seeds).  Several veggies planted a few weeks ago are doing well in the grow-op in the basement.  Tomatoes that I planted last weekend are starting to sprout.  A couple of varieties haven't quite made an appearance yet but I expect to see the slow pokes over the next couple of days.  I love the planting season and all of the hope of summer veggies yet to taste!

Well, back to those 1000 other things.  Happy Easter!  Since I'm not a fan of turkey, it is going to be beer can chicken for dinner tonight.  Not your traditional Easter fare but one of my favourites.

Still not finishing much

I have a couple of projects on the go that had minimal progress this week.  Need to make up for that this weekend.  I am being inspired by other things so am still looking confident that I'll see completion by the end of the month.  Sources of inspiration this morning (not all craft related):

1.  Denise Schmidt has a new book which looks lovely.
2.  I ran out of thread on the quilt that I am finishing so had to go to Quilter's Garden Patch, the local quilt shop the other day.  I impressed myself by only buying one black and white print to balance my stash of black and white prints which will be transformed into a quilt eventually.  I did have a few other fat quarters in my hand but, with great self control, put them back on the shelf.  But I did buy the 7" Crazy Curves Template from Elisa's Backporch Design.  I feel that this will kickstart my stash clearing.
3.  101 Cookbooks has a very nice looking chocolate bundt cake today.  The links on the site also led me to an olive oil banana bread and black bread both of which sound really good.
4.  I received Lettuce Knit's email newsletter in my inbox yesterday which is inspiring me to keep knitting, reduce the stash, so I can buy more.

Now all I have to do is stop playing an incredibly addictive Moonlight Mahjong (if you have a Mac, it is at the Ap store waiting to invade your life) and get working.

Surfing

Looking through the latest Vogue Knitting magazine, I was directed to the first website below and then just started poking around the internet.  Some of my new and not so new finds this afternoon:

1.  Quince & Co. has some lovely patterns.  I'm particularly smitten with Castle, Solstice, Belfast Hoodie and Tundra.  As I work through my stash, I must remember to go back to this site to see if anything in inventory has compatible gauge.
2.  Less about the website and more about the podcast - Spilled Milk.  I really like listening to Matthew and Molly waffle on about food.  Molly's blog Orangette is another I frequently visit.
3.  Every time I see Josee Savaria at an art show, I want to buy something.  Each time I find it impossible to decide which of her pieces I like best and haven't really wanted to part with the cash (or been able to figure out where I would have some wall space to hang one for that matter).  I did buy some cards which will greet no one but are on hand for inspiration.  I particularly like the Paysages Marines series.

Yesterday's dinner went well.  Except my niece's dislike of any salad dressing but Caesar.  Since I didn't have any, she had some cherry tomatoes instead.  So pretty much a success, I would say.

The Lull Between Projects

With my focus on large project completion, I find myself without as much crafty subject matter to write about.  But great news on the blue sweater front, it fits!!!!  And I like it!!!!  I should know by now NEVER to try something with cables on until after it has been blocked.  The extreme form-fitting nature of pre-blocked cables discourages me, I wash and block and am happy.  Note to self ... STOP trying it on pre-block.  I used to block before I sewed the pieces together, maybe I'll go back to that approach on the next cable project.

We're having picky eaters, in the form of my teenaged niece and nephew, over for dinner tonight.  One is off chicken, the other off pork.  They like pasta but one doesn't like sauce.  One requested steak so we're good there.  And I'm making homemade macaroni and cheese and a salad.  Hopefully the other will find something in the selection to please.  Fortunately, I can always count on them eating my chocolate chip cookies.  And, as their aunt, a little slacking on the nutritional value for one meal can be excused.  It is in the aunt's rulebook, written at the dawn of time.

March is National Craft Month

I'm not sure people who actually are as obsessed with crafts as I am really need a month dedicated to crafts but Quilters Connection Magazine pointed it out to me so thought I'd pass it along.  

In other news, I finished my February sweater and have decided that there may have been a reason that it has taken at least 5 years to complete.  I am not happy with the finished product.  Mainly I am not happy with the way it fits.  But it is a cabled sweater that I haven't blocked yet so I washed it this morning and it is downstairs hopefully taking on a more flattering shape right now.  Picture to come post blocking.

I think my knitting project for March will be a blanket for Project Linus.  I pulled out some yarn that I bought at the Needle Emporium's summer sale a few years ago that I think will look nice.  I'm not sure I'll have quite enough to make a decent-sized blanket so was hunting through the stash trying to find something to mix with the main yarn and noticed that I have quite a bit of stash.  I knew this, of course, but when you are digging around looking for something and the boxes to look in seem to go on for days, it really hits home.  

Public Transit Observations

While not as interesting as the subway, occasionally you see things to make you smile on the GO train - in a good way.  Today on the way home, it was a guy totally grooving to his music, complete with drum solo.  He looked like a slightly disheveled businessman, not the sort to generally get into the beat on the train.  Glad he found a tune that rocked him and that his evening was clearly off to a great start.

This morning, a lady got off the train carrying a loom and an in progress project.  Not sure if she was working on it in transit but it was interesting and when she dropped one of the shuttles, one of the other passengers chased her down the stairs to give it back to her.  I debated about catching up with her to chat but ran into a friend so walked to the office with him instead and forgot all about her.

Economics lesson through coffee

Starbucks has moved me to the left on the demand curve for lattes.  I have always been able to justify the $3 plus price for the latte as a treat a couple of times a week.  Of late, I had switched to a better coffee place, Aroma, near the office which also happens to be cheaper and they give you a little chocolate with your order.  Add to that the purchase of a home espresso machine which has curtailed weekend purchases and I haven't been to Starbucks for a while.  The other day, I was on my way to a meeting, a little early and desirous of a coffee fix.  So I stopped in at one of the numerous convenient Starbucks locations in the concourse.  And paid $3.50 for a tall latte.  For some reason, $3.50 has pushed it into the category of too expensive in my mind.  Not that it will likely impact Starbucks much.  Just saying.

To Shannon who likes the iPod cover - give it a try - it is really very easy.  I'm only good with sewing straight lines so can vouch for its simplicity!

New Years Resolutions

I generally make them, am good following them in January and then can't remember what they were after that.  So here they are for this year:

1.  Finish one major project per month - sweater, quilt, other to be determined at the time
2.  Follow the Bon Appetit 2 week Food Lover's Cleanse and continue eating healthy with the main goal of losing those 8 pounds I found somewhere in the last 3 months.
3.  Stay within recently formulated 2012 budget

That's it.  Should be manageable enough.  We'll see how it goes.

Happy New Year!

At least this addiction saves space

I recently acquired a Kobo ereader.  Tilley Endurables, the travel clothing store has a - spend $300, get a free Kobo promotion on - so I decided to go check it out.  I easily managed to find $300 worth of stuff and got the reader.  Previously I was of the opinion that I preferred books and would never be interested in reading on a screen.  I saw the benefits when travelling - one ereader vs 4 books makes so much sense - but never thought I would adapt to using it every day.  Since the machine came loaded with 100 classic titles, I charged it up that afternoon at the office and broke open Pride and Prejudice on the train home.  Instantly, smitten.  Since then,
 - I have downloaded books from the library.  Although I would have to say the selection there isn't too spectacular.  Hopefully that will only improve with time.  My local library branch is closed for renovations and the alternative takes a little longer to get to so being able to download immediately is very appealing.  Add to that, I don't have to decipher the little splotches on the pages, wondering where the book has been before me.
 - I have purchased a couple that both of us will read.  I bought one of these gizmos for my husband for his birthday and feel much more frugal when buying a book if both of us will read it.  And no need to find space on a bookshelf when we're finished.
 - I bought the Yarn Harlot's latest this morning - no frugality here, just supporting a local knitter :).
 - And I still have 99 free classics to read.

I can't wait until we go somewhere on vacation and I don't have to figure out how to get one more book in the bag.  I guess I should figure out how long the charge lasts before we do that.  There is an advantage to the page turning kind after all.

Another step toward organization

My husband is a natural organizer.  He is so organized that the last time we moved, the moving company underestimated the amount of stuff we had by a whole truck.

I am completely the opposite.  While he generally stays out of my craft room (due to the overwhelming futility of it all), lately he has been helping me out.   As a result, all of my fat quarters are now housed in plastic bins that were on sale 2 for 1 a few weeks ago at Zellers.  In addition to things being neater, this seems to have freed up some space despite the bulkiness of the bins.  We're also making a pile of stuff for a garage sale in the spring.   Some under-loved cookbooks have gone in that pile.  As a result of both of these initiatives, I've got more room.  

And the latest project - find something to do with all of the bags, homemade and provided by well meaning stores instead of plastic.  As an aside, while I have always been a reusable bag/container person at the grocery store, I don't really need every store providing me with a reusable bag.  At least a plastic one is good for kitty litter.  Who needs 50 reusable bags.  And beside which, I want to be able to make some and actually enjoy them rather than feeling more cluttered.  So stores - stop giving me reusable bags.  I'll reuse the plastic for the kitty litter cleanup and will continue to use reusable containers whenever possible.

Anyway, these cute hooks were sourced from Home Hardware and the bags are behind the door.  Off the shelves and much easier to grab on the go.  The shelf they were previously living on is now freed up for a plastic bin full of fabric scraps.  Now if I could just finish some projects.  Imagine how much more room I would have.

On an unrelated note, I need to complain about skeins of yarn.  I have a ball winder.  I have a swift.  And yet for every 3 skeins of yarn I easily make into a ball, I have one that gets so tangled I just want to throw the whole lot out the window to be used by birds for a very big nest.  I don't know if I'm just skein challenged or if this happens to everyone.